spector



Jan. 31, 1956 J. J. 5PET R 2,732,973

CIGARETTE DISPENSING CONTAINERS Filed June 6, 1951 INVENTOR. JEROME J. SPECTOR United States Patent CIGARETTE DISPENSING CONTAINERS Jerome J. Spector, St. Louis County, Mo., assignor to Universal Match Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Application June 6, 1951, Serial No. 230,101 7 8 Claims. (Cl. 221-147) This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in cigarette dispensing containers and,

more particularly, to a combination container and lighter for dispensing a lighted cigarette.

Devices of this general character have heretofore been suggested and the present invention is directed more particularly to improvements which render such devices materially more satisfactory and overcome certain disadvantages which have been found in devices of the prior art.

In previously available cigarette dispensing containers, such as that disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,083,464 to Mayer, issued June 8, 1937, the electric ignition or lighting element is carried by'a somewhat exposed slide which can be directly gripped with the fingers and pulled partially out of the container. The slide picks up a single cigarette as it moves out of the container, and is further provided with means for shifting the cigarette over into firm endwise contact withthe lighting element. After a number of years of experience with the sale and use of such devices it has been found that tars and nicotine which distill out of the tobacco as the lighting action takes place tend to collect on the element, fouling it and eventually causing red-hot particles of coke-like residue to drop down onto the hands or clothing'of the user. Similarly as the light ing action takes place the lighted coal which necessarily begins to form and smoulder at the lighted end of the cigarette tends to drop red-hot ashes.

It is, hence, the primary object of the present invention to provide a cigarette dispensing container of. the type stated having a slide which will not drop hot ashes or burning particles onto the hands and lap of the user or onto the carpet or floor over which the device is being used. i

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device of the type stated in which the tendency of the lighter element to become fouled and caked with burned tar residues is substantially overcome. I

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a deviceof the type stated which is simple. and economical in construction and which is rugged, durable, and longwearing in use and operation.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cigarette dispensing container constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention; a

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the improved slide forming a part of the present invention;

'ice

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figures 7 and 8 are fragmentary sectional views taken along lines 7.7 and 8--8, respectively, of Figure 6; and Fig. 9 is a fragmentary top elevational view of the ignition element and related supporting structure shown in Fig. 6.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates a'container comprising a hollow, box-like, open-topped shell or receptacle 1 molded or otherwise formed of any suitable material and having a front wall 2, a rear wall.3, side walls 4, 5, and a bottom wall 6. As may be seen by reference to Figure 2, the rear wall 3' is much smaller in vertical height'than the front wall 2 and the side walls 4, 5, are cut rearwardly away from and extend substantially below the lower marginof the front wall 2. Similarly, the bottom wall 6 is inclined forwardly and downwardly terminating at its lower horizontal margin in rearwardly and down- 7 wardly spaced relation to the lower margin of the front wall 2 in the provision of a dispensing opening 7.

Hingedly connected by means of arcuate spring clips 8 to the rear wall 3 is a cover 9 which extends closurewise across the top of the receptacle 1, and similarly hinged by means of arcuate spring clips 10 upon the bottom wall 6 is a dispensing door or flap 11 provided with an arcuately contoured bearing flange 12 for rocking abutment against the forward margin of the bottom wall 6. As will be seen by reference to Figures 1 and 2, the flap 11 is shaped to fit snugly within the opening 7 when in closed position and is integrally provided with a projecting lip 13 to facilitate manual shifting from closed to open position and back. It should be noted in this connection that the arcuate spring clips 10 function to hold the flap 11 in either open or closed position and bias it toward one or the other of such positions as it is moved through half-way-open position, so to speak. in other words, as the user manually pushes the flap 11 down, the spring clips 10 will tend to resist such movement until the flap 11 has been moved past the approximate mid-point of its path of travel and thereupon the spring clips 10, in'eifect, snap the flap 11 open the rest of the way. A similar action in reverse direction takes place as the flap 11 is closed.

Formed integrally with and extending vertically upwardly from the central area of the bottom wall is a tubular post 14 having an inclined top face 15 provided with an upstanding square-shouldered boss 16 for slide-forming disposition through an elongated rectangular opening 17 formed centrally in a slide-plate 18 which is in turn provided equidistantly on opposite sides of the opening 17 with raised elongated protrusions 19 for sliding engagement in elongated slots 26 formed in a stationary floorplate 21 rigidly mounted against the top face of the boss 16 by means of the bolt 22 and nut 23. It will be noted in this connection that the height of the boss 16 is just slightly greater than the thickness of the slide-plate 13 so that the latter will be held firmly but slidably in place. Centrally of its forward margin the slide-plate 18 is V flanged downwardly and struck out in the provision of a hinge-loop 2 5 for pivoting engagement with the upper end of a rearwardly and downwardly extending link 25 which is, in turn, pivotally connected at its lower end to rock-arms 26 formed rigidly on the flap 11 and extending rearwardly into the interior of the receptacle 1. It will be seen by reference to Figure 2 that, as the flap 11 is swung downwardly into open position, the rear ends of the rock-arms 26 will swing upwardly and forwardly, pushing the link 25 forwardly and thereby causing the slide-plate 18 to shift forwardlyand downwardly.

Along its lateral margins thefloor plate 21 is integrally provided with substantially vertical lining flanges. 27which Patented Jan. 31, 1956 extend along the inner faces 'of the side walls 4, and at their forward margins are integrally joined to a lining plate 28 which extends across the inner face of the front wall 2 and is inclined slightly downwardly and rearwardly fromthe vertical terminating at its lower margin inforwardlyspaced relation to the forward margin of the floorplate 21 in the provision of a slot 29 of somewhat greater width than the diameter of a single cigarette.

Formed integrally with, and projecting downwardly from the forward margin of the slide-plate 18, equidistantly on opposite sides of the hinge-loop 24, are U- shaped catch-fingers or rests 30, 31, which extend under and-across the slot29 when the slide-plate is in fully retracted position so that one cigarette will drop from the upper or magazine part of the receptacle 1 through the slot 29 and come to rest on the catch-fingers 30, 31. The slide plate 18 is integrally provided on its lateral or side margins with depending flanges 32, 33, which project forwardly in laterally spaced relation across the outer ends of the catch-fingers 3t), 31, respectively. Operatively mounted on the under side of the slide-plate 18 and projecting forwardly through a slot 34 formed in catch-finger 39 is a spring blade or lever 35 adapted for lateral shift- 7 ing movement responsive to forward and rearward shifting movement of the slide-plate 18. The spring blade or lever 35 is actuated by a stationary cam shoulder, not shown but more particularly described in U. S. Patent No. 2,083,464, whereby the cigarette which rests in the catch fingers 3Q, 31, will be shifted lengthwise as the slide-plate 18 moves into open or dispensing position. This lengthwise shifting movement pushes the cigarette into contact with a circular electric lighter element 36 operatively mounted on the flange 33 and electrically connected through a slide 37 and slide terminal to a conventional electrical lead wire 39.

The slide-plate 18 is cut away, as at 40, from the flange 33 and lighter element 36 and the end portion of the catch-finger 31 is deformed or diametrically enlarged to provide a ledge 41 which extends under and in radially outwardly spaced relation to the lighter element 36. In the region of the lighter element 36, the ledge 41 is covered with a strip 42 of woven glass-fibre tape or other suitable dielectric athermanous semi-refractory material. When the cigarette is pushed over into contact with the lighter element 36, the end thereof will be completely in the clear, so to speak, and yet the ledge 41 will prevent hot ashes from accidentally dropping down onto the lap of the user. Furthermore, the spaced arrangement of the ledge 41 and the insulative tape-strip 42 keep the ledge 41 relatively cool, so that tobacco dust and shreds which may fall from the end of the cigarette as it moves against the lighter element 36 will not incinerate and the hot ashes will simply cool harmlessly on the ledge 41. As the slide-plate 18 is shifted into closed position, the slight vibration imparted to the ledge 41 will shake the debris into the scoop-shaped dispensing door or flap 11 from which it may be dusted out or removed, if necessary. Actually, there is little, if any, ash or debris which will collect because the very small amount will tend to drop out at the next opening of the flap 11. The danger,

of course, is the hot ashes which may drop during cigarette lighting action and when such ashes or coals come to rest on the ledge 41 they actually consume themselves to a great extent as they smoulder for an instant and then become extinguished. Hence, the ledge 41 remains substantially clean and the slight amount of ash and similar debris which shifts down from time to time as the flap 11 is opened, will be practically imperceptible. Finally, because the lighter element 36 is essentially enclosed, and is thus protected from draft and cooling air currents, it becomes hotter and completely burns itself clean of particles of tobacco and tars which tend to collect on it each time a cigarette is lighted.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the cigarette dispensing container may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A cigarette dispensing container adapted for dispensing a lighted cigarette comprising a receptacle having front, side, rear, and bottom walls and being provided with an elongated dispensing slot, a downwardly swinging flap hinged upon the bottom wall and adapted normally to extend closurewise across the slot, said flap being provided with rock-arms extending rearwardly and upwardly through the dispensing slot, a floor plate rigidly mounted in the receptacle and inclined forwardly and downwardly from the rear wall toward the front wall terminating adjacent to and rearwardly from the upper margin of the dispensing slot in the provision of a cigarette magazine having a'downwardly opening discharge slot, a slide-plate shiftably mounted on the underside of the floor plate for forward and rearward movement and being provided on its forward edge and adjacent its opposite ends with laterally spaced coaxial arcuate fingers which, when the slide plate is in rearward position, curve downwardly beneath and across the discharge slot and upwardly toward the upper margin of the dispensing slot to provide a partial closure between the two slots and when in such position being adapted for catching and holding a single cigarette, said slide plate being provided intermediate said fingers with a downwardly and rearwardly presented hinge-loop, a forwardly inclined link operatively connecting the rock-arms with the hinge-loop for causing the slide-plate to shift outwardly through the dispensing slot as the flap is swung downwardly, and an electric ignition element carried by the slide-plate in out- Wardly spaced axial alignment with the arcuate fingers, the finger which is adjacent to the ignition element being enlarged diametrically for a portion of its length around the end which is presented toward the ignition element for providing a concentric ledge which is spaced downwardly and outwardly around its inner surface from the cigarette.

2. A cigarette dispensing container adapted for dispensing a lighted cigarette comprising a receptacle having front, side, rear, and bottom walls and being provided with an elongated dispensing slot, at downwardly swinging flap hinged upon the bottom wall and adapted normally to extend closurewise across the slot, said flap being pro vided with rock-arms extending rearwardly and upwardly through the dispensing slot, a floor plate rigidly mounted in the receptacle and inclined forwardly and downwardly from the rear wall toward the front wall terminating adjacent to and rearwardly from the upper margin of the dispensing slot in the provision of a cigarette magazine having a downwardly opening discharge slot, a slide-plate shiftably mounted on the underside of the floor plate for forward and rearward movement and being provided on its forward edge and adjacent its opposite ends with laterally spaced coaxial arcuate fingers which, when the slide plate is in rearward position, curve downwardly beneath and across the discharge slot and upwardly toward the upper margin of the dispensing slot to provide a partial closure between the two slots and when in such position being adapted for catching and holding a single cigarette, said slide plate being provided intermediate said fingers with a downwardly and rearwardly presented hinge-loop, a forwardly inclined link operatively connecting the rockarms with the hinge-loop for causing the slide-plate to shift outwardly through the dispensing slot as the flap is swung downwardly, and an electric ignition element carried by the slide-plate in outwardly spaced axial alignment with the arcuate fingers, the finger which is adjacent to the ignition element being enlarged diametrally for a portion of its length around the end which is presented toward the ignition element for providing a concentric ledge which is spaced downwardly and outwardly around its-inner surface from the cigarette, said ledge being pro vided with a narrow facing strip of heat insulating material around its inner face extending beneath the ignition element so as to insulate the ignition element from the ledge and also'to protect the ledge, in the region of the ignition element, from the heat generated by the lighted end of the cigarette.

3. A cigarette dispensing container adapted for dispensing alighted cigarette comprisinga receptacle having front, side, rear and bottom walls and being provided with an elongated dispensing slot, a downwardly swinging flap hinged upon'the' bottom wall and adapted normally to extend closurewise across the slot, said flap being provided with rock-arms extending rearwardly and upwardly through the dispensing slot, a floor plate rigidly mounted in the receptacle and inclined forwardly and downwardly from the rear wall toward the front wall terminating adjacent to and rearwardly from the upper margin of the dispensing slot in the provision of a cigarette magazine having a downwardly opening discharge slot, a slideplate shiftably mounted on the underside of the floor plate for forward and'rearward movement and being provided on its forward edge and adjacent its opposite ends with laterally spaced coaxial arcuate fingers which, when the slide plate is in rearward position, curve downwardly beneath and across the discharge slot and upwardly toward the upper margin of the dispensing slot to provide a partial closure between the two slots and when in such position being adapted for catching and holding a single cigarette, said slide plate being provided intermediate said fingers with a downwardly and rearwardly presented hinge-loop, a forwardly inclined link operatively connecting the rock-arms with the hinge-loop for causing the slide-plate to shift outwardly through the dispensing slot as the flap is swung downwardly, and an electric ignition element carried by the slide-plate in outwardly spaced axial alignment withthe arcuate fingers.

4. A cigarette dispensing container adapted for dispensing a lighted cigarette comprising a receptacle having front, side, rear, and bottom walls and being provided with an elongated. dispensing slot, a downwardly swinging flap hinged upon the bottom wall and adapted normally to extend closurewise across the slot, said flap being provided with rock-arms extending rearwardly and up wardly through the dispensing slot, a floor plate rigidly mounted in the receptacle and inclined forwardly and downwardly from the rear wall toward the front wall terminating adjacent to and rearwardly from the upper margin of the dispensing slot in the provision of a cigarette magazine having a downwardly opening discharge slot, a slide-plate shiftably mounted on the underside of the floor plate for forward and rearward movement and being provided on its forward edge and adjacent its opposite ends with laterally spaced coaxial arcuate fingers which, when the slide plate is in rearward position, curve downwardly beneath and across the discharge slot and upwardly toward the upper margin of the dispensing slot to provide a partial closure between the two slots and when in such position being adapted for catching and holding a single cigarette, said slide plate being provided intermediate said fingers with a downwardly and rearwardly presented hinge-loop, a forwardly inclined link operatively connecting the rock-arms with the hinge-loop for causing the slide-plate to shift outwardly through the dispensing slot as the flap is swung downwardly, and an electric ignition element carried by the slide-plate in outwardly spaced axial alignment with the arcuate fingers, the one of said fingers adjacent the ignition element being provided with an enlarged inverted hood extending under and around the ignition element.

5. A cigarette dispensing container adapted for dispensing a lighted cigarette comprising a receptacle having flap hinged upon the bottom wall and adapted normally to extend closurewise across the slot, said flap being provided with rock-arms extending rearwardly and upwardly through the dispensing slot, 2. floor plate rigidly mounted in the receptacle and inclined forwardly and downwardly from the rear wall toward the front wall terminating adjacent to and rearwardly from theupper margin of the dispensing slot in the'provision of a cigarette magazine having a downwardly opening discharge slot, a slide-plate shiftably mounted on the underside of the floor plate for forward and rearward movement and being provided on its forward edge and adjacent its opposite ends, with laterally spaced coaxial arcuate fingers which, when the slide plate is in rearward position, curve downwardly beneath and across the discharge slot and upwardly toward the upper margin of the dispensing slot to provide a partial closure between the two slots andwhen in such position being adapted for catching and holding a single cigarette, said slide plate being provided intermediate said fingers with a downwardly and rearwardlypresented hinge-loop, a forwardly inclined link operatively connecting the rock-arms with the hinge-loopfor causing the slide-plate to shift outwardly through the dispensing slot as the flap is swung downwardly, and an electric ignition element carried by the slide-plate in outwardly spaced axial alignment with the arcuate fingers, the one of said fingers adjacent the ignition element being provided with an enlarged inverted hood extending under and around the ignition element and in downwardly spaced relation to the end of the cigarette as it is pressed into pyrophoric engagement against the ignition element.

6. A cigarette dispensing container adapted for dispensing a lighted cigarette comprising a receptacle having front, side, rear and bottom walls and being provided with an elongated dispensing slot, a downwardly swinging flap hinged upon the bottom wall and adapted normally to extend closurewise across the slot, said flap being provided with rock-arms extending rearwardly and upwardly through the dispensing slot, a floor plate rigidly mounted in the receptacle and inclined forwardly and downwardly from the rear wall toward the front wall terminating adjacent to and rearwardly from the upper margin of the dispensing slot in the provision of a cigarette magazine having a downwardly opening discharge slot, a slide-plate shiftably mounted on the underside of the floor plate for forward and rearward movement and being provided on its forward edge and adjacent its opposite ends with laterally spaced coaxial arcuate fingers which, when the slide plate is in rearward position, curve downwardly beneath and across the discharge slot and upwardly toward the upper margin of the dispensing slot to provide a partial closure between the two slots and when in such position being adapted for catching and holding a single cigarette, said slide plate being provided intermediate said fingers with a downwardly and rearwardly presented hinge-loop, a forwardly inclined link operatively connecting the rock-arms with the hinge-loop for causing the slide-plate to shift outwardly through the dispensing slot as the flap is swung downwardly, an electric ignition element carried by the slide-plate in outwardly spaced axial alignment with the arcuate fingers, the one of said fingers adjacent the ignition element being provided with an enlarged inverted hoodextending under and around the ignition element and in downwardly spaced relation to the end of the cigarette as it is pressed into pyrophoric engagement against the ignition element, and a strip of insulative material disposed over said hood.

7. A cigarette dispensing container adapted for dispensing a lighted cigarette comprising a receptacle having front, side, rear and bottom walls and being provided with an elongated dispensing slot, a downwardly swinging flap hinged upon the bottom wall and adapted normally to extend closurewise acrossthe slot, said flap being provided with rock-arms extending rearwardly and upward- 1y through the dispensing slot, a floor plate rigidly mounted in the receptacle and inclined forwardly and downwardly from the rear wall toward the front wall terminating adjacent to and rearwardly from the upper margin of the dispensing slot in the provision of a cigarette magazine having a downwardly opening discharge slot, a slide-plate shiftably mounted on the underside of the floor plate for forward and rearward movement and being provided on its forward edge and adjacent its opposite ends with laterally spaced coaxial arcuate fingers which, when the slide plate is in rearward position, curve downwardly beneath and across the discharge slot and upwardly toward the upper margin of the dispensing slot to provide a partial closure between the two slots and when in such position being adapted for catching and holding a single cigarette, said slide plate being provided intermediate said fingers with a downwardly and rearwardly presented hinge-loop, a forwardly inclined link operatively connecting the rock-arms with the hinge-loop for causing the slide-plate to shift outwardly through the dispensing slot as the flap is swung downwardly, an electric ignition elei ment carried by the slide-plate in outwardly spaced axial alignment with the arcuate fingers, the one of said fingers adjacent the ignition element being provided with an enlarged inverted hood extending under and around the ignition element and in downwardly spaced relation to the end of the cigarette as it is pressed into pyrophoric engagement against the ignition element, and a strip of insulative material interposed between the ignition element and the hood.

8. A cigarette dispensing container adapted for dispensing a lighted cigarette comprising a receptacle having front, side, rear and bottom walls and being provided with an elongated dispensing slot, a downwardly swinging flap hinged upon the bottom wall and adapted normally to extend closurewise across the slot, said flap being provided with rock-arms extending rearwardly and upwardly through the dispensing slot, a floor plate rigidly mounted in the receptacle and inclined forwardly and downwardly from the rear wall toward the front wall terminating adjacent to and rearwardly from the upper margin of the dispensing slot in the provision of a cigarette magazine having a downwardly opening discharge slot,

a slide-plate shiftably mounted on the underside of the floor plate for forward and rearward movement and being provided on its forward edge and adjacent its opposite ends with laterally spaced coaxial arcuate fingers which, when the slide plate is in rearward position, curve downwardly beneath and across the discharge slot and upwardly toward the upper margin of the dispensing slot to pro vide a partial closure between the two slots and when in such position being adapted for catching and holding a single cigarette, said slide-plate being provided intermediate said fingers with a downwardly and rearwardly presented hinge-loop, a forwardly inclined link operatively connecting the rock-arms with the hinge-loop for causing the slide-plate to shift outwardly through the dispensing slot as the flap is swung downwardly, an electric ignition element carried by the slide-plate in outwardly spaced axial alignment with the arcuate fingers, the one of said fingers adjacent the ignition element being provided with an enlarged inverted hood extending under and around the ignition element and in downwardly spaced relation to the end of the cigarette as it is pressed into pyrophoric engagement against the ignition element, and a strip of athermanous dielectric material disposed over said hood.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 676,798 Mullins June 18, 1901 1,235,341 Lewis July 31, 1917 1,543,290 Metzger et a1. June 23, 1925 1,570,286 Schoeller Jan. 19, 1926 1,758,168 Olivaux May 13, 1930 1,912,779 Landrum June 6, 1933 2,083,464 Mayer June 8, 1937 2,187,218 Witt Jan. 16, 1940 2,196,151 Johnson Apr. 2, 1940 2,342,747 Mayer Feb. 29, 1944 2,373,772 Mayer Apr. 17, 1945 2,460,396 Rifkin Feb. 1, 1949 2,545,936 Zanardo Mar. 20, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 46,825 Germany Apr. 20, 1889 346,920 Great Britain Apr. 23, 1931 

